Algerian police prevented a pro-democracy protest rally from taking place in the capital Algiers, detaining several people including journalists.
Eye witnesses say Demonstrators were preparing to take part in the weekly Hirak movement protest when they were jostled and taken into custody by police in the city centre.
Around ten other journalists and photographers were also detained, among them Khaled Drareni, correspondent for French-language TV5 Monde and press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF), according to the CNLD prisoners’ rights group.
Some of those detained were released later in the day, including Drareni, according to online media.
Drareni, also the founder of the Casbah Tribune online news site, became a symbol of the struggle for press freedom in Algeria after being incarcerated for almost a year.
Marches went ahead in other Algerian cities, including Oran, and in Bejaia and Tizi Ouzou in the northern Kabylia region.
The CNLD reported numerous people taken into custody across the country, from Hirak activists to opposition figures including Mohcine Belabbas, head of the Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD).
The interior ministry this week said that Hirak protest organisers would have to advise authorities of protests in advance, and that failing to respect these rules renders the march illegal and will lead to punishment.
Discover more from LN247
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
